Gerrit Cole Shuts Out Rays in 6-Inning Return from Tommy John Surgery

Yankees ace Gerrit Cole makes dominant comeback in first start since 2024 world series

Cole’s first start back ended with a dominant 6-inning outing, giving the Yankees a boost as they chase the Rays and Guardians in the AL standings.

Gerrit Cole made a statement in his comeback, combining control and poise to shut down the Rays in front of the Yankee Stadium crowd...

Gerrit Cole delivered six scoreless innings in his first start back for the New York Yankees on Friday. It marked his first outing since Game 5 of the 2024 World Series.

The 35-year-old has spent the last year recovering from Tommy John surgery. In his return, Cole allowed two hits and three walks while striking out two across 72 pitches, 50 of which were strikes.

The 2023 Cy Young winner was back on the mound for the first time since the 2024 World Series, and he wasted no time adding to his highlight reel.

A 4-pitch 4th inning for Gerrit Cole 😮 pic.twitter.com/u89gamUUD0

— MLB (@MLB) May 23, 2026

In the top of the first, Cole picked off Chandler Simpson, the fastest base runner in MLB, with runners on first and second and one out. The Rays were threatening to score early, but Cole shut it down.

Coming into Friday’s game, the Yankees sat at 30-21. That put them just behind the Rays at 33-15 for second place in the AL East, and third in the American League behind Cleveland at 31-22.